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Breast cancer found early can usually be treated successfully. Practice breast self-exam monthly. Contact a physician if any change is found in your breasts. Have a clinical breast exam by a healthcare professional. Women 40 and older should have a mammogram yearly as recommended by the American Cancer Society.
Breast tomosynthesis is the latest advance in the fight against breast cancer. Patients receive their traditional screening mammogram in combination with breast tomosynthesis, which takes a series of low-dose images from multiple angles around the breast. The images are then reconstructed by a computer to provide a 3D model of the breast. Tomosynthesis allows radiologists to see the inner structure of the breast in a way not possible before. The technology can detect cancers that may have been missed by traditional mammography, especially in patients with dense breast tissue, and can help reduce the recall of patients for follow-up mammograms and biopsies.
Mammography is an X-ray imaging technique specifically designed for the screening, detection and/or diagnosis of lumps, tumors and other abnormalities in the breast. With full-field digital mammography, the image can be adjusted to enhance differences in breast tissue, offering superior breast cancer detection rates and better diagnostic accuracy.
MRI takes high-resolution images using a magnetic field instead of radiation. MRI is often used along with mammography to image areas of concern in the breast. Cancerous tissue needs a greater blood supply than healthy tissue, and MRI images show greater contrast in areas of increased blood flow, helping a physician determine if an area is cancerous or not. This MRI technique is used with patients who have a strong family history of breast cancer, newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and patients with complicated mammograms.
The latest biopsy techniques combine precision digital and ultrasound imaging to pinpoint the area of concern. A hollow needle is inserted through the skin and tissue sample is taken. No stitches are needed and there is much less recovery time. Stereotactic and ultrasound needle biopsies are less costly than surgical biopsy. More importantly, they are equally effective in making an accurate diagnosis.
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